


Two-Way Admiration

by grainjew



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Characters find out about Ash's adventures, Gen, Identity Reveal, ao3 user shadaki is trying to popularize the previous tag as a tag for this sort of fic, discussion of the kalos crisis, ilima voice ive been VICTIMIZED by the FIGHTING TYPE for TWO ENTIRE YEARS, so i'm doing my part!, there's no tag for the alola gang as a collective which is kinda unfortunate. im fixing that...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26672524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grainjew/pseuds/grainjew
Summary: Ilima was in Kalos during the Crisis, so it's only logical that he knows Ash Ketchum's name. He just hadn't ever expected to see one of the heroes of Kalos attending his old school.(Ash doesn't really understand what the fuss is about.)A well-deserved coda to Sun & Moon episode 65, "Turning Heads and Training Hard!"
Comments: 43
Kudos: 430





	Two-Way Admiration

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kagehana_tsukio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kagehana_tsukio/gifts).



> the writing of this fic was inspired and fueled entirely by me putting tsu’s spite regarding ilima not recognizing ash in-series despite having been in kalos for the crisis into my mouth and chewing it until it turned into a fic, so it’s for her. i actually started it last year when she was first expressing that spite and then she started again recently so i got inspired again and picked the fic back up haha. ty tsu

Ilima wasn't sure how Professor Kukui's class had talked him into coming over for dinner at Mallow's family restaurant. His plan for the evening had been to hike over to Ten Carat Hill and spend quality time with his team and without other humans. But the food was delicious, and the class was good company, and it was an excellent chance to catch up on Alolan news without having to deal with adult sensibilities.

Alolan news was a lot more pleasant than Kalosian news, these days — and as much as Ilima loved Kalos and wished the best for it, it was nice to have a break.

Once Mallow had gotten all their food to the table, the conversation turned to a field trip the class had taken to Ash’s hometown — and Professor Oak’s lab — in Kanto.

“I rode a _Rapidash_ ,” said Kiawe, with his mouth full of pinap juice. "Hey, what kind of fire—"

“Ash got catapulted into the sky by his own pokemon,” interrupted Lana. “Which was hilarious. Sorry, Kiawe.”

"Whatever," said Kiawe.

“It’s how they say hi,” muttered Ash, then stuck his tongue out.

“Yeah, yeah.” Lana waved a dismissive hand. “But _wow_! All those water types! We went to the Cerulean Gym, Ilima, because Ash is friends with Misty, the gym leader, and _get this_. She had a _mega-gyarados_!”

"It was amazing!" added Mallow. She put down her fork, and Ilima let her talk. "Ash had a battle with her, Pikachu against Mega-Gyarados, and Misty had totally beaten me and Lillie earlier but he won, just like that!”

Ilima glanced speculatively at Ash, who was chuckling in embarrassment and grabbing the back of his neck. Ilima had been trying to get a read on him all day, and hadn’t managed more than a general love of life, an unbound excitement that had him running in ten directions at once, and a vague sense of familiarity that itched at Ilima’s brain. And of course a respect for pokemon who didn’t want to evolve, which spoke very well for him. But there had been no indication of his actual skill in battle beyond his sheer enthusiasm and his obvious bond with his pikachu. Ilima would battle him anyway, of course — it was only polite — but it would be nice to have a sense of what that battle would be like before they began. The fact that he could apparently battle a gym leader’s mega-gyarados with a pikachu and win was certainly an interesting data-point towards that goal.

“It was very impressive,” noted Kiawe. “Although he _did_ have type advantage.”

“Against a _mega-gyarados_!” said Lana. “You’re just sore ‘cause Brock beat you in like two seconds.”

“It was way more than two seconds!”

“I thought Kiawe was really cool!” said Ash, which made them both stop squabbling to stare at him. “Me an’ Misty used to fight all the time, so we know all each other’s tricks, and Brock’s really strong!”

“Still,” said Sophocles, even though he hadn’t been involved in the conversation up ‘till that point. “Ilima, we’ve gotta show you the video from the battles later! I think RotomDex took some, but of course it had to go with Professor Kukui after class, so maybe tomorrow… But Ash and Pikachu did this maneuver with electric platforms that I’m still trying to analyze the data from, it makes no sense!”

“’Course it makes sense,” muttered Ash around a mouthful of fried rice, “’s just like Rock Tomb Climb, but with Pikachu’s electricity.”

Ilima filed the term away in his mind for later. The rest of the class looking as vaguely perplexed as he felt was something of a relief, until they all dropped their confusion as quickly as it had come and went back to devouring dinner. Well, Mallow _was_ an excellent chef.

After a few silent moments, Lillie looked up at him from her noodles with water chestnuts and said, “So, Ilima, I heard you were away in Kalos?”

“Yes, I've been attending school in Shalour City,” answered Ilima. “It's a lovely place, with a lot of history.”

“Not Lumiose City?” asked Lillie. She frowned a little. People always thought of Lumiose first when they thought of Kalos, which never failed to irritate Ilima because he’d rather be anywhere else in the region. Especially since the Crisis. “That’s where I read all the cool museums are! And the fancy stores, and Prism Tower!”

“Lumiose City is wonderful, but slightly,” he paused, and considered his word choice, “overwhelming.” She was trying so hard to be polite; it was the least he could do to return the favor.

“Oh…” said Lillie. She had her hands to her mouth, and looked somewhat dismayed. Ilima hoped this wasn’t a repeat of finding out Komala hadn’t woken up for him after all. He would hate to disappoint these students for the second time today. “But I’m sure Shalour City is just as magnificent!”

“It’s a place I’ve grown to love,” said Ilima. He smiled at her. “Although never quite as much as I love Alola.”

“Wait, you live in Shalour City?” Ash cut in, looking up from his food. “That's where Korrina's gym is, isn't it?”

Ilima raised an eyebrow. “You know it?”

“Yeah, me an’ Pikachu an’ Hawlucha an’ Talonflame — although it was Fletchinder then — got to challenge it when I was traveling with Bonnie and Serena and Clemont!” said Ash. He waved his arms around. “Her and Mega-Lucario are _super_ strong! We had _such_ an awesome battle, right Pikachu?”

“Pika pika!” said Pikachu, from halfway across the room.

Gym Leader Korrina's lucario had gained the ability to mega-evolve under a year ago, and if he'd challenged the Shalour Gym, he would have been aiming for the latest Lumiose Conference.

“Talonflame?” asked Kiawe.

“Yeah, it’s a fire and flying type, it’s so cool! I guess you didn’t meet it at Professor Oak’s?” Ash tilted his head. “It musta been off on a trip with rest of my flying types, I hardly saw any of them. Hopefully they didn’t cause too many problems!”

He apparently had at least two kalosian pokemon, whom he had used to best Gym Leader Korrina.

“They’re that mischievous?” asked Mallow.

Ash waved a hand. “Nah, they just like to go really fast, which gets them in trouble sometimes. But Pidgeot and the others’ve probably just been giving Talonflame and the others tours of Kanto, since they’re new. Flying types are so cool! I gotta get Professor Oak to send Talonflame over so you can meet it, Kiawe!”

His name was Ash. And he had a pikachu, and he'd been in Kalos, at the League, during the Crisis.

“We’ll have to have a race with my charizard when you do,” said Kiawe. “Fire and flying type against fire and flying type!”

“Yeah!” said Ash. “You’re on!”

Ilima's throat made a strangled noise, and everyone looked at him.

“ _Xerneas_ ,” he breathed. “You're _Ash Ketchum_.”

“Uh,” said Ash. He shared a look with Pikachu. “Yeah?”

“That's his name,” said Lillie. The rest of the class were trading glances in confusion. Ash just went back to eating his fried rice. "What's the issue?"

It wasn't that Ilima meant to stare. It was just that he hadn't prepared himself to encounter — let alone befriend — one of the heroes of Kalos studying casual-as-you-please at his old school.

He swallowed. "It's an honor to meet you."

“Um,” said Ash. “Thanks?” Pikachu darted across the floor and up his chair to rub its cheek against his.

“No, really,” said Ilima, and hoped he wasn't blushing. “I've wanted to meet you.”

“What, seriously?” Ash scratched the back of his head. “Me? I mean…”

Ilima stared at him some more, but all he did was scratch at Pikachu's tail with his spare hand and shove another spoonful of fried rice in his mouth.

“You,” said Ilima finally, when he couldn't stand the rest of the class glancing back and forth between them like they were watching a sporting match. “I was in Kalos,” he added. “Last year.”

Ilima saw the exact moment it clicked. Ash's eyes widened, and he exchanged a glance with Pikachu on his shoulder, and his whole posture went stiff. Then he breathed out, and slumped. Deflated. “Oh,” he said. “I'm sorry.”

(”What hap—” whispered Mallow.

“The Kalos Crisis, duh,” hissed Sophocles back.

“Oh, right, sorry.”

“Shh!” added Lana.)

“Please don’t apologize,” said Ilima, biting his lip. “Not when you were out there with the Champion and the gym leaders putting your life on the line.”

Ash blinked a little. “Um, okay,” he said.

Ilima took a deep breath, and kept hoping he wasn’t blushing. “I’ve wanted to thank you, actually, for everything you did for Kalos.”

“Anyone would’ve—”

“But you were there, and you did,” said Ilima. He hadn’t ever imagined running into Ash Ketchum, and he certainly hadn’t imagined the meeting going like this, or happening at his old school, or — especially — Ash Ketchum being impressed with him before he could even realize who the overenthusiastic kid who wanted to battle him was. He was still trying to reconcile it. Ash didn’t look like the hero who’d helped save a region, not surrounded by all the trappings of alolan youth and shoving fried rice in his mouth. But the class all thought Ilima was some kind of hero, so appearance really didn’t seem to matter. “So: thank you. On behalf of everyone who would have died that day.”

“It really wasn’t…” Pikachu poked him in the cheek, and he changed tack. “Um, you’re… welcome, then.” His tone dipped from fast to slow and back again. He cast his eyes around the table, like he couldn’t figure out where to look. “Hey, Ilima, you live in Shalour City! Have _you_ fought Korrina?”

Ilima opened his mouth to say something else about the Kalos Crisis, and then closed it when he remembered how awkward it had been earlier when the class thought _he_ was some kind of hero. Ash had actually done all the things Ilima wanted to thank him for, unlike Ilima, but he had to be feeling a little awkward. Especially in front of all his friends, who were still glancing between the two of them like they had a thousand questions and were barely able to keep from asking them.

“Two years ago, soon after I first arrived in Kalos,” he said instead. “She obliterated me.”

He’d challenged her on a dare from his roommate, confident in his skill, and his roommate had been there to watch her tear through his team and give him a sharp lecture on how even normal-types had weaknesses to watch out for. He’d mostly made it to that year’s Lumiose Conference out of spite for the two of them and on badges from any gym he could find outside Shalour City so that he wouldn’t have to face her again, and then he’d lost in the first round against a trainer whose ledian unexpectedly knew Mach Punch. 

“I was just working my courage up ask for a rematch when her lucario gained the ability to mega-evolve,” he added ruefully. “I’m ashamed to admit that put a damper on my plans.”

“Yeah,” said Ash. “She’s really strong, isn’t she! Oh, I know!" He smacked his fist into his palm. "We should have that battle!"

“After dinner,” cut in Mallow.

Ash nodded emphatically. “We should have that battle after dinner!”

“Oh...” said Ilima. “I wouldn't want to impose...”

“Believe me,” said Lana, deadpan, “you're not.”

“It'll be great practice for both of us!” added Ash. "Me an' Pikachu've fought Korrina, and you're a super cool normal-type specialist, which is _awesome_."

“Well,” said Ilima, and gave up on not blushing. Somehow praise felt different when it came from the mouth of one of the people who had saved your second home. It was all well and good to get praise from teachers, whom he was specifically attempting to please, or from students, who had heard exaggerated stories about him. But this was different. This was _Ash Ketchum_ , finalist in the Kalos League, who Ilima remembered watching wide-eyed on the television with his roommate.

"I wanna fight that awesome eevee of yours!" said Ash.

Eevee _was_ amazing, and Ilima had never doubted that. And yet, despite that knowledge, Ilima could _not_ for the life of him stop blushing.

“Eevee and I will be delighted to battle you, then,” he managed. Avoiding Ash’s gaze, he caught his partner’s eye from across the room. “Eevee! Did you hear that? Ash Ketchum thinks you’re awesome!”

“Vee!” said Eevee. And that was that.

**Author's Note:**

> not pictured: the immediate aftermath of this conversation, which features the entire class questioning ilima about everything he said because ash is too busy shoving fried rice in his face to answer them
> 
> it's a day before yom kippur where i am, so it's a bit early, but i'm gonna say g'mar chatimah tova to you all anyways. and if you're observing the fast, may your fast be as easy and/or meaningful as you hope it will be  
> shana tova!!
> 
> [edited in, because i forgot it when i originally posted this] i have a writing tumblr now, [come say hi](https://grainjew.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
